If the staff at West End Radiators have a strong suit, it’s moving forward.
“Just keep going. We don’t really look back,” says Justin Feeleus, who owns the Winnipeg-based business with his uncle, Wayne Feeleus. “It’s just kind of (about asking ourselves): how can we get better?”
While looking in the rear-view mirror doesn’t generally interest the owners of Manitoba’s only remaining heavy-duty radiator shop, a recent milestone gave them and their approximately 60 staff an opportunity to stop and reflect on everything the company has accomplished.
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Wayne Feelus and nephew Justin Feelus own West End Radiators, Manitoba’s only remaining heavy-duty radiator shop. ‘It’s like we’ve created a community around us, and those are the people that keep you going,’ Justin says.
West End Radiators reached its 65th anniversary in 2025, and the company marked the occasion last month with a celebration at the Sandman Hotel.
Staff from the company’s three Winnipeg and two Saskatchewan locations attended, with some bringing family members, leading to a crowd of 140 people. Wayne, 53, and Justin, 36, served as the masters of ceremonies, handing out awards and prizes.
For Justin, it was meaningful to share a meal and some laughs with the people who make the business possible.
“Having that event kind of keeps you going because it kind of fuels you to see, hey, this is more than just coming to work every day,” he says. “It’s like we’ve created a community around us, and those are the people that keep you going.”
Those comments are reflected in the company’s vision, which is written on a whiteboard in the company’s office on Park Lane Avenue: “To build a legacy of well-being for our community of customers and employees.”
That legacy can be traced back to Wayne’s father, Leendert (Len) Feeleus. Born in the Netherlands on Christmas Day 1930, Len immigrated to Canada with his parents and two younger siblings in 1952.
Len would come to own a restaurant, trailer park, laundromat and some motels in Steinbach before selling them all to purchase West End Radiators in 1980.
Established at 2010 Logan Ave., the company had a history as a small automotive radiator shop. Two decades in, the business was struggling, and Len hired his sons, Arnold Feeleus and Pete Feeleus, to work with him.
Arnold and Pete mastered heavy-duty and industrial heat exchanger work in the 1990s before taking ownership of the company.
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Welder Ron Caron repair a radiator.
Their hands-on experience, combined with industry networking, helped the business land its first major industrial project, and set the stage for steady growth into the heavy-duty sector.
In 2001, they built a second shop at 2008 Logan Ave.
As Arnold and Pete began transitioning into retirement, their younger brother Wayne and Pete’s son Justin bought the company in 2016 and took over day-to-day operations.
Since then, the company has opened two new service centres in Saskatchewan (one in Estevan and another in Saskatoon), launched Western Canada’s only aluminum core manufacturing division at 90 Park Lane Ave., and opened a state-of-the-art copper-brass core manufacturing plant.
Today, West End Radiators boasts the largest inventory of industrial radiators and cores in Western Canada for industrial purposes. The company designs and manufactures all of its aftermarket heat exchangers in-house, and guarantees radiators that are long-lasting and leak-proof.
“When our customers want the level of service that they require, we have to have it in-house so we can build things as fast and efficiently and as heavy duty as we need it built,” Wayne says.
The company does business in every province from B.C. to Ontario, and in the last five or six years has started selling its products into the United States. It serves a variety of industries, from construction and agriculture to transportation and energy.
“We’re a niche manufacturer, so we’re not going to build 1,000 units a day,” Wayne says. “We’re going to build eight, 10 units a day … That’s what we thrive on — building those customized units.”
Wayne oversees the company’s sales and business development, while Justin directs manufacturing and leads technical innovation. It’s a division of labour that works well for the duo, who characterize their relationship as more brotherly than anything else.
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A welder works on fixing a radiator.
“We love each other like brothers and we fight like brothers,” Justin says.
“We have a common goal,” Wayne adds. “We want to see the company succeed and grow and provide opportunities for people.”
For both owners, employing 60 people and helping support 60 families is one of the most meaningful aspects of the job. Many staff members are first-generation Canadians who have moved to Winnipeg from places such as Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Ukraine and the Philippines.
“It’s very enjoyable working with them and seeing them start a life in Canada,” Justin says.
“Because that’s what my dad did, too” Wayne adds. “Here we are from all over the place. We’re figuring out how to make radiators and serve customers together.”
Like any business, West End Radiators deals with its share of difficulties.
“You never know what the next challenge is gonna be coming around the corner, but you’ve got to be prepared because something will be coming,” Wayne says. “Whether it’s staffing issues or tariffs or COVID or inflation or currency fluctuations, it impacts us all.”
Still, the company keeps moving forward.
“We’ve been on kind of this slow, steady march of growing the business right from when (my father) bought the business in 1980,” Wayne says.
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Suilarso Japit works on radiator core assembly in the metals shop.
Looking ahead, the plan is to do more of the same.
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“We feel that we’ve been given an opportunity, so we’re going to continue to push and provide for the people around us,” Wayne says. “Exactly what that looks like we’re not sure, but we’ll continue to push for that.”
Wayne credits his father and brothers for setting West End Radiators up for the success the company enjoys today.
When Len bought the business, neither he, Arnold nor Pete knew how to fix a radiator, much less build one. They figured it out as they went, and had the foresight to keep evolving the business.
“They laid the foundation for us to grow,” Justin says. “Without them doing that, we wouldn’t have been here.”
aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron.
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